My son joined the scouting movement when he was 6, starting with the Beaver section, going through the Cubs and then the Scouts. It is so amazing for our children that I wanted to give something back to them, for all the good they've done! All the lovely people who chucked some money in the pot for their teas and cakes over Open Week have donated to this great group, and will continue to do so for the next year! I managed to get Mark Atkinson, group leader of 1st Stourport St. Michael's Scouts to answer some questions about the group. So settle in, grab that cup of hot chocolate and maybe some toasted marshmallows and join with me while we learn a little bit about him and the Scouts! BlueKat Design - Thanks for taking the time to have a chat Mark, I know how busy it gets with you lot! So to kick off, what do you do in the Scouts? Mark - Scouting is the UK's biggest mixed youth organisation. Scouts take part in activities as diverse as kayaking, abseiling, expeditions overseas, photography, climbing and zorbing. As a Scout you can learn survival skills, first aid, computer programming, or even how to fly a plane. There's something for every young person. It's a great way to have fun, make friends, get outdoors, express your creativity and experience the wider world. BK - It's such a fantastic opportunity for young people, how did you get to become a leader? M - I joined Beaver scouts at the age of 6 and haven't looked back since. I had so much fun through all the youth sections and got soon much out of it that I didn't want to leave. I made so many friends and had so much respect for the leaders that guided me through my youth years in the scouts that there was no question about it that I wanted to become a leader myself. I signed the paperwork on my 18th birthday and dived straight into giving a little back to the organisation that had given me so much. I gained my Queen's Scout award and completed my leader training to gain my wood badge and 13 years of leadership experience later I am still loving the adventure. I moved to Stourport in 2012 and joined St Michael's and then took over as the Scouts section leader in 2015. BK - Oh fantastic, what's your favourite bit about being a scout leader? M - Camps are my favourite bit of scouting. They can be hard work but it is so rewarding watching the Scouts develop and grow in confidence. Often it is the first time they are having to look after themselves away from home, on a lot of our camps the scouts have to cook for themselves in small groups so they get to learn a lot of new life skills they might not already have. Scouts are with the section for 4 years so they can grow and develop so much over that time. It is always great to see a shy, quiet young cub joining the scouts at 10 and then leaving 4 years later as a confident young person having taken on many new skills and experiences and even more rewarding when some of them come back as young leaders and then go on to become adult leaders themselves ready to help the next generation of scouts. BK - It must be so rewarding to see the scouts develop and grow. What would you say is you main influence in continuing with the group? M - The scouts themselves are my main influence and what drives me to keep going trying to run the best section I can. To see a scout that is afraid of heights overcome their fears and reach the top of the climbing wall, or spending their first night under canvas away from their parents is very special and motivates me to keep going to provide the same experience for as many young people as possible. BK - Now I know that you're supporting big experiences for the scouts, tell everyone else what their tea and coffee donations are going towards this year! M - Yes, two very big experiences! The troop is currently raising funds to help support scouts going to the Haarlem Jamborette in the Netherlands in 2019. We are also raising funds for one of our scouts who has been selected to be one of only 2 scouts from the Kidderminster District to join the county contingent representing the UK at the world scout jamboree in America next year. The scouts going on these trips will get to meet scouts from all over the world to learn about scouting in other countries and join with fellow scouts on many great adventures and activities. Wow, what amazing memories they'll be able to create going on those trips! I hope we get loads of donations for you! Huge thanks to Mark for taking the time to fill us in a little bit, I can highly recommend the entire St. Michael's group, they do great things! If anyone is interested in volunteering their time for the group, across all the ages, or has a child interested in creating memories and learning amazing skills you can find contact them via - http://www.saintmichaelsscouts.org.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/stmichaelsscouts Take care all, Kat xxx | AuthorHi Everyone, welcome to the blog, I'd like to say it's regularly updated, but I do struggle with thinking of what to write (at the moment! It's all gonna change!!!) |
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BlueKat DesignWelcome to my blog, find out about what goes on at the Dragon Hole, and probably a little slipping down the rabbit hole too! Archives
September 2019
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